


Dark Heart

by ReadyForTeddy



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Friendship, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soft Boys, Summer, They’re best friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29739114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadyForTeddy/pseuds/ReadyForTeddy
Summary: It’s the hottest day in years, but Hop’s stuck indoors, having a difficult time coping with the worries in his mind. Will his best friend Victor be able to help?Sw/Sh Hurt/Comfort, friendship fluff. Set post-championship. Can be interpreted as romantic if you like.
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Dark Heart

' _You are never alone, you are never alone, you are_ _ **never**_ _alone.'_

The sound echoes through his mind, thoughts cascading in a silent hurricane. Alone is good. Alone is bad, alone is fantastic! But also horrible, and lonely, and empty, and…

He balls his fists, rocking in place on his bed.

' _You are always alone. You are always alone. You are_ _ **always**_ _alone.'_

Is this how it feels to take a fall?

Hop screws his eyes tight shut, swimming in the murky darkness of his eyelids. Caught up under the familiar blue blanket, no light is let in, it's immersive. He loves it. He hates it, so much.

' _You aren't special. You aren't special. You failed.'_

His train of thought; mingling with Victor's sweet-talk full of sympathy, crushing together in a slow collision. A constant battle, in his mind.

He needs approval, constant validation. He got none, and he deserves none. Victor's support until the end was behind all his deeds, like a super-objective. It was underneath some of the books that he chose to lend him. The words he wrote, and the songs he sang, they're just piling up in a landfill somewhere.

And then, lost the battle, and lost the war.

Coldly, he berates himself; it's the hottest day in years, and he's stuck inside. Crying over a stupid championship. Crying, because everyone he loves is so much better than him, and always will be. Crying in the shadows, because he won't even be noticed, he won't even be thought about, and in many ways, that is death - the end.

 _Hopeless,_ what a horrible word, but one that fits so aptly.

Until a surprise knock at the door.

"Hop? Hop, mate, are you in there?"

Shit. His limbs seem to melt into nothing, at the voice. His organs swap places and back again, his toes curl and his fingers clench. No - no, this can't be. He cannot be seen like this. He isn't crying - no, no, he's…

The voice sounds closer. "Hop? Hop, is that you under there?"

He's - he's cutting onions - no, awful excuse - no, he, he got something in his eye, that has to be it-

"Hop, seriously, it's roasting in here, are you alright?"

The blanket is tugged from him - panic sets - he tries to pull it back, but to no avail, as he hears Victor's soft voice, right besides him.

"Oh my days… Hop? Hop? What's wrong?"

"'S - Hayfever-" Hop tries to lie.

He feels the mattress sink, as Victor places himself next to him, and he feels warm hands lift him, lift him into familiar, comfortable arms, his thoughts writhe again at the feeling, so torn up and scattered.

Victor speaks fast, obviously worried by what he's discovered. "Your mom let me in, Hop - I didn't think you'd be - mate, seriously what's - what's wrong?"

"No - Nothin'," Hop manages, through his tight chest and the stiffness at the back of his throat. "S-Sorry- so sorry-"

Victor's arms tighten protectively around the emotional ball of blue. They hold Hop so dearly, like a treasure they can't bear to give away.

Hop hates it. He loves it. He wishes Victor would go. He never wants it to end.

"Is it the championship?" Victor says quietly.

Hop gives a small, tiny nod.

Victor elicits a minuscule, guilty sound, as he surrounds his best friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it from you - I know how much it meant - I should've forfeited-"

"It's not that," Hop whispers, quietly.

"Oh."

There's a little silence, as Hop attempts to gain the composure to continue.

"What is it, then?" Victor asks gently. "Did someone say something? Did someone hurt you?"

Hop speaks miserably. "It's you."

Victor's stunned into silence.

Hop continues, forcibly sitting himself up against the wall. "It's you. You're famous now, and you're going to go off and be the champion, and you'll be too busy for me."

Tentatively, Victor comes near again, troubled by Hop's words. "Don't say such things, mate…"

"It's true though. You're going to be all gone - and I'll be all alone - and- and-"

"No, it's-"

Hop talks faster. "It happened with _Leon -_ he became the champion, became famous, and now I never see him anymore. And now it's going to happen with you too!" He covers his face, trying so hard not to cry again, but there's only so much he can do, as the tears overflow. He feels so childish, so pathetic, crying like a baby, but Victor doesn't seem to mind. Victor lets him lean on his shoulder, and let it out.

"Look - Hop - I wouldn't - won't just leave you behind," Victor says, firmly. "I couldn't. I won't be like Leon. You're my best mate - I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's what _everyone_ says. I'm just your best mate, Leon's brother, Victor's rival. That's all I am."

There's another quiet, before Victor suddenly bundles him near. Hop lets out a yelp, as he's picked up - and suddenly pulled close.

"Hop - you're so much more than that - you're amazing - _amazing -_ you hear me?! Hop? You're the absolute best thing to ever happen to me - I would give everything up, the championship, all these pokemon, the league - I'd give it all up for you! You're special. You mean so much, to so many people. Don't you dare say you're just my best mate. Just Leon's brother. You're _Hop._ The best person in the world!"

Hop lets out a muffled squeak, all sorts of warm feelings now suddenly rushing through him. What is this? What are these emotions?!

Victor touches a finger down, beneath Hop's wet eyes. "You don't have to cry, Hop. I'll never leave you. I never want to leave you - _never."_

Hop looks up at him, with a sniffle. "Victor…"

"Arceus, I hope all that helped - that was some of my best material-"

Hop smiles slightly, leaning his head against Victor's chest. "It did. Thank you - I - I don't think anyone's said anything like that to me before-"

"Well, remind me to compliment you more often. Now, Hop, it's way too warm to be stuck indoors - so what do you say to going and grabbing some ice cream?"

Hop looks up again, meeting his champion's eyes. "Together?"

Victor smiles. "Together."

A/N:

I hope you enjoyed this random and spontaneous friendship fluff. :)


End file.
